What happened?

[DMchicks]

So I'm a first time chicken owner and my baby girls are about 6 months. I have 1 hen (Henrietta) who is laying regularly. She is a light brahma. I have another light brahma, 2 silver laced wyandottes, and a golden sea bright.

So here's my story/question...
Thursday of last week before the big freeze hit ohio, I was out cleaning the coop and getting things ready for the storm and I found my usual egg +2 more. I was very excited thinking I had more layers. Friday I found my usual egg +1 and have only found Henriettas daily egg since. What happened to the other layers? I assume the cold and being inside for 3 straight days messed them up a bit but I'm kind of concerned since it has warmed back up and still no more eggs. Is this normal? Are my ladies okay? Is there anything I should be watching for? Thanks for all your input!

 

[Brooks_]

Short daylight hours is the most likely cause. That and new layers aren't as consistent.

 

[Acre4Me]

I’m in Ohio too. All my layers cross their legs on very windy days and refuse to lay. It certainly was windy.

Light. Now light is increasing, but still low light and cold. The pineal gland in their head senses light and this impacts laying. We have light on a timer in our coop, they get light from early morning thru early afternoon and go to roost naturally at sunset but egg production still wanes due to molting and winter.

Change. Chickens hate change, and that scary white stuff blew their minds and freaked them out. When freaked out, they tend not to lay. We scatter straw to help them thru this phase.

Water: if they do not drink enough water they will not lay. In winter scary snow keeps them in the roost, or wind makes them hide, so they eat/drink less than they should. Make sure they have easy access to water that is thawed but not hot or rusty (due to water heater that is rusted -ask me how I know this). In summer, they want to hide in the shade and don’t drink enough and laying suffers during hottest days - so I make them wet feed in the afternoon (entire run is shaded then) with ice added, and they are drinking and eating at same time - production is supported and we get more eggs.

Breeds: some breeds are bad at winter laying or are just generally lower production. Buy a few high production ones so their first winter they lay eggs, and you cycle them out before their second winter bc you will have bought new high production chicks that will be the reliable layers that coming winter.

 

[Mrs. K]

Perfectly normal. Give them 6 weeks and you should have steady production.